The Hunger - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie are rich, beautiful, and oh-so chic as denizens of the night. Dressed in sleek outfits and stylish sunglasses, they haunt rock & roll clubs on the prowl for young blood, whom they bring home to their impossibly luxurious mansion for a late-night snack. Being a vampire never looked more sexy, but there's a price: Bowie starts to age so fast he wrinkles up in the waiting room of a doctor's (Susan Sarandon) office. The agelessly elegant Deneuve, evoking Delphine Seyrig's Countess Bathory from Daughters of Darkness, is perfectly cast as a millenniums-old bloodsucker who seeks a new mate in Sarandon and seduces her in a sunlight-bathed afternoon of smooth, silky sex. Tony Scott's (Ridley's brother) directorial debut, adapted from the Whitley Strieber novel, revises the vampire myth with Egyptian inflections and removes all references to garlic and crosses and wooden stakes--these bloodsuckers can even walk around in the daylight--but the ties between blood and sex are as strong as ever. Scott's background as an award-winning commercial director is evident in every richly textured frame and his densely interwoven editing, but the moody atmosphere comes at the expense of dramatic urgency. At times the film is so languid it becomes mired in its hazy, impeccably designed visual style. In its own way, The Hunger is the perfect vampire film for the '80s, all poise and attitude and surface beauty. Sarandon talks candidly about the film in the documentary The Celluloid Closet. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews: Read 123 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

Good art film that's entertaining October 17, 2004
49 out of 53 found this review helpful

I saw 'The Hunger' when it was in the movie theatre in 1983. I didn't know what to expect but David Bowie's presence in the film made me go into the theatre.

Esthetics! Esthetics! Esthetics! Beautiful people, beautiful set, beautiful music wrapped into the warm womb of blood sucking and immortality and escapism. The storyline doesn't move me, though every performance is stellar. I never develop any empathy for the characters, though I would like to sit down and have lunch with them (on the condition I'm not on the desert menu.)

This is the kind of film one might call a guilty pleasure. No social or intellectual message or value, but imprints itself upon the emotional psyche. It provides a window into another side of one's usual self. Do I believe in vampires and the creature feature scifi world, no. But it can be fun.

The dvd quality is excellent. Much better transfer than the video we've had all these years. Really glad it's available and in our film library. Enjoy this world where beauty and pointlessness meet for no other reason than to entertain you.

4 out of 5 stars

"We're damned to live forever...with no release, no end." April 7, 2005
21 out of 26 found this review helpful

In watching The Hunger (1983) last night, it seemed completely foreign to me that this movie was directed by Tony Scott, the same guy who directed such films as Top Gun (1986), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Days of Thunder (1990), and The Last Boy Scout (1991)...why? Because this film seemed so...artsy fartsy, for lack of a better term, while those other films tend to fall into the category of manly man films. By the way, I just read Scott is in the process of remaking Walter Hill's 1979 film The Warriors, scheduled to be released sometime in 2006...is Hollywood so bereft of original ideas they have to cannibalize past works? This is strictly a rhetorical question, as we all know the answer, so please don't send me a ton of e-mails...anyway, the film, based on a novel by Whitley Strieber, directed by Tony Scott, stars the very European Catherine Deneuve (The Musketeer), the always androgynous David Bowie (Into the Night), and the ever liberal Susan Sarandon (The Rocky Horror Picture Show), who, according to the Internet Movie Database keeps her Oscar in the bathroom...huh...I use mine as a doorstop. Also appearing is Cliff De Young (F/X), Dan Hedaya (Alien: Resurrection), and Willem Dafoe in a seminal role credited as `2nd Phone Booth Youth' (seriously, his role is so minuscule you'll miss it if you blink...he does have at least one line, so he got paid more for than just his pretty face). Also watch for Ann Magnuson (Clear and Present Danger) near the beginning in a very revealing part.

The film begins as we see an older, somewhat sophisticated couple (Bowie and Deneuve), whom we later come to know as John and Miriam Blaylock, picking up a younger couple at a disco...for what purpose? Certainly not to swing, baby...once alone, the older pair make short work of the younger pair in fine, vampiric style (sans the fangs), these scenes interlaced with those of spastic monkeys (you heard me). We then meet Sarah Roberts, author and researcher, her work involving something to do with unlocking the mysteries of how our biological clocks work, and, perhaps someday slowing down or even halting the aging process (good luck with all that). So far all she's got is the ability to cause monkeys to age really, really fast...keep up the good work. Anyway, John soon comes down with a serious case of geezer-itis, and contacts Sarah, as she's the aging expert and all. So what's his deal? I'm not going to tell you, but I will say don't get too attached to the character. Not long after this Miriam finds herself attracted to Sarah, and sees her as a possible candidate to fill the now vacant role of consort, allowing Sarah the opportunity to experience first hand the true nature of that which she wishes to know.

Okay, first off, any film that can incorporate the song Bela Lugosi's Dead (by Bauhaus) is alright in my book. The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about this film is billowy drapes...every third scene or so is populated by long, diaphanous curtains blowing in the wind, inducing flashbacks to when MTV actually played rock music videos back in the 80's, as many featured just such a scene. And was there one character in the film that didn't smoke? I guess if you're blessed (or cursed, depending on your point of view) with eternal life, you don't worry too much about getting the big C. I thought the film did very well straddling the line between being pretty cool and being utterly pretentious, leaning towards the former as director Scott knows how to create interesting visuals featuring many up close and personal shots, providing an intimacy to the characters. I also thought the flashback sequences were handled pretty well, primarily used to flesh out the story a little, but not appearing blatant or obvious. The color tone seemed a bit muted throughout the film, giving an overall ethereal sense as if the story was taking place as a dream, one that you witness, but don't participate in...if that makes any sense. Have you ever wanted to see David Bowie as a really decrepit, shriveled, bony, veiny, desiccated, covered in liver spots, old man? Here's your chance...how about a topless Susan Sarandon enjoying the pleasures of the Sapphic kind? That's in here too...I did have one issue with the story and that was near the end. Perhaps it's better detailed in the novel, but it has to do with transference. If you've seen the film, you may have an idea of what I'm talking about, as it wasn't put forth in a manner that made a lot of sense. I did accept it, begrudgingly. I don't always require everything spelled out for me, but this seemed a fairly critical part of the story. I thought all the actors did well, despite some minor deficiencies within the story with regards to the characters (a couple of them seemed transparent to me). I did appreciate the slightly sympathetic element that grew from the story with regards to John and Miriam, their lives affected by what us `norms' would consider a monstrous and hideous affliction, especially given the actions necessary foe survival. I did like most of the music within the film, especially the sometimes moody orchestral pieces, but the electronic stuff (music and sound effects) seemed a little too heavy and distracting at times. Perhaps a more minimalist route would have been a better tact to take, but this, as many of the issue I brought up, are fairly minor compared to an overall enjoyable film.

The widescreen anamorphic picture (2.35:1), enhanced for 16 X 9 TVs, on this DVD looks very clear and sharp, and the Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is decent, albeit soft at times. There are a few extras including a commentary track featuring Sarandon and director Scott, a still gallery, and a theatrical trailer, which I would avoid watching prior to watching the film, that is if you haven't already seen the movie.

Cookieman108

5 out of 5 stars

Softly, brilliantly crafted, but certainly not for everyone October 12, 2000
17 out of 18 found this review helpful

This cult art film classic is the quintessential vampire film of the 1980s and is one of my favorite vampire fliks of all time.

THE HUNGER is a very good film, even though, at times, it moves rather slowly. Deneuve plays Miriam, a stone-faced centuries-old vampire who has had a string of lovers of the many years of her life. As the film opens, she and her longtime bloodsucking paramour, John (played by Bowie), are coping with their own mortality. That's right, I said mortality. In THE HUNGER, vampires can die of old age.

Bowie's appearence in the film is somewhat brief, but he makes the most of the time he has with a well-developed character. The makeup used to age him into a shriveled old man is complemented by Bowie's ability to play age well, both physically and emotionally. There is a quiet poignancy to the romance of between Miriam and John, but when scientist Sarah Roberts (Susan Sarandon) visits the Blaylock mansion one day, Miriam's real romance begins.

As I mentioned, the movie can sometimes feel slow, but it's well worth sitting through as the film is not so much horror and gore (although when it's bloody, it's nicely bloody), but erotic and intellectual. Sarandon and Denueve are both excellently cast and create some rather arousing scenes together. Although there is little action, there are many themes and ideas to be explored in this story. As such, I would say THE HUNGER is definitely for fans of art films, rather than those who are attracted to Hollywood productions.

5 out of 5 stars Sexy and sinful June 22, 2000
16 out of 17 found this review helpful

Horror movies are not usually lush, well-photographed or erotic. Yet this one is! David Bowie, Susan Sarandon, and the immortal Catherine Deneuve all sport trendy clothes and buckets of blood in this vampiric love triangle. It is well-produced, and though it has been criticized for its "languid" pace -- I think it moves at just the right tempo for what the movie is...one long slow seduction. Much is made of the lesbian sex scene, but it's actually pretty tastefully done and tame by today's standards. It's a nice reversal of the Dracula myth -- Catherine Deneuve as a bi-sexual immortal who choses her mates alternating sexes through the centuries. It's a fun idea! And who would say no to her anyway? It's got more style than substance, but oh what a joy to see a movie that captures a sense of elegance and beauty and wrap it around a horror story! And the music is divine -- from the underground gothic stylings of Bauhaus (Peter Murphy actually lip-synchs "Bela Lugosi's Dead" over the opening credits) to the beautiful duet from Delibes (the selection from LAKME it seems everyone used after this movie). It's an excellent movie, and one worth buying since it seems to be disappearing from rental shelves. And the price is the lowest you will find here at AMAZON as opposed to retail outlets!

5 out of 5 stars Nothing Lasts Forever December 10, 2001
15 out of 17 found this review helpful

Opening scene: Bauhaus performing "Bela Lugosi is Dead" on stage in a cage at a very cool club being visited by a dressed to kill Deneuve and Bowie on the prowl for fresh flesh. They dress cool, drive a very cool car, and live surrounded by the beautiful paintings and sculpture they have collected over the many centuries they have been alive. Great to look at, great to listen too. Music includes Bach's Cello suites, Delibes Lakme(plays while Deneuve tells the music's mythic story of two women to Sarandon who comments "sounds like a love story between two women", Deneuve just smiles).
Sexy, yes. This is a Vampire film with a really good story too though. Deneuve is a Vampire from Egyptian times and Bowie is just her latest lover. They have only been together since the eighteenth century or so. But the problem is that, unlike her, her lovers do not live forever. Bowie becomes aware of this only after awaking one morning to find he is aging. Deneuve is powerless to help him, so he searches for his answer at an institute of aging. Bowies make-up as he goes from a young man in the prime of life to old man in one day is incredible. It is very interesting to see the eternal life and love aspect of the Vampire story as the focus. We find shes been through it all before and so Deneuve wastes no time in finding her next lover, to share the next few hundred years with. Susan Sarandon. And its everything you might imagine. This has gothic appeal but its so stylish that the beauty of it and the fact that there is a solid plot puts it at least a few notches above all the other Vampire movies.

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